bioMérieux's VITEK MS System Nominated for Prestigious 2014 U.S. Prix Galien Award

The First FDA-Cleared Diagnostic Instrument to Utilize MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry to Rapidly Identify Harmful Bacteria and Yeast Recognized by Galien Foundation for Innovation in Healthcare Science

bioMérieux, a world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics, announced that its VITEK® MS system a revolutionary technology which reduces microbial identification from days to minutes, has been nominated for the 2014 Prix Galien Award in the United States. The Prix Galien Award is considered the biomedical industry’s highest accolade and recognizes the technical, scientific and clinical research skills necessary to develop innovative medicines and devices. Winners will be honored at the Prix Galien USA Awards Ceremony to be held on October 28, 2014 at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

“bioMérieux has a long history of bringing the most innovative technology to in vitro diagnostics. As a world leader in clinical microbiology, we are thrilled and honored that VITEK® MS, the revolutionary and easy-to-use mass spectrometry system, is being considered for a Prix Galien Award,” said Mark Miller, Chief Medical officer of bioMérieux. “The VITEK® MS system addresses the clinical laboratory need for extremely rapid identification of pathogens in order to provide clinicians with actionable results for improved medical decisions. Rapid identification of harmful microorganisms has been shown to improve the care of patients in this new era affected by major health concerns such as sepsis, healthcare-associated infections and mounting antibiotic resistance. This nomination means a great deal to us, because for more than a half century, bioMérieux has introduced pioneering diagnostic innovations to the clinical laboratory, reinforcing the medical value of diagnostics, and we thank the Galien Foundation for this recognition.”

The VITEK® MS system is a mass spectrometry MALDI-TOF-based system for rapid identification of disease-causing bacteria and yeast in just minutes as compared to other traditional methods, which can take from 24 hours to several days. VITEK® MS is the latest addition to the VITEK® family of products, it is the first of its kind that can identify nearly 200 different microoranisms and can perform up to 192 different tests in a single automated series of testing. The system was granted U.S. FDA 510(k) clearance in August 2013 for broad clinical use, covering a large number of microorganisms. The Cleveland Clinic Innovation Summit named the technique as one of the Top Ten Breakthrough Medical Technologies of 2013.

About bioMérieux

Pioneering Diagnostics

A world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics for 50 years, bioMérieux is present in more than 150 countries through 41 subsidiaries and a large network of distributors. In 2013, revenues reached €1.588 billion with 87% of sales outside of France.

bioMérieux provides diagnostic solutions (reagents, instruments, software) which determine the source of disease and contamination to improve patient health and ensure consumer safety. Its products are used for diagnosing infectious diseases and providing high medical value results for cancer screening and monitoring and cardiovascular emergencies. They are also used for detecting microorganisms in agri-food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.

bioMérieux is listed on the NYSE Euronext Paris market (Symbol: BIM – ISIN: FR0010096479). Other information can be found at www.biomerieux-usa.com.

Contacts

Media Relations

Suzanne Jones
Tel: +1 919-479-3637
suzanne.jones@biomerieux.com

Baker & Yorke

Tim Baker
Tel: +1 216-338-8086
tbaker@baker-yorke.com